Unselfish fishermen release WHOPPING 300lb tuna worth thousands after catching it
A HUGE 300lb tuna worth thousands on the black market has been caught off the Cornish coast - and returned to the sea by the unselfish fisherman.
A 300lb tuna was caught by amateur angler Alan Wright and skipper Dan Gardner
Amateur angler Alan Wright spent three hours battling to land the giant Atlantic Bluefin tuna four miles out to sea.
But after taking a souvenir photo he returning it to the ocean, despite its illegal value.
It also took five other men to haul in the tuna off the coast near Falmouth.
Skipper Dan Gardner, 40, of Mullion, Cornwall, said the fish put up a 'monumental fight'.
The giant fish is worth thousands on the black market but these conscientious fishermen returned it
He said: ''I couldn't last five minutes with the fish.
It was a monumental fight - it put my back out. It can stay in the water next time
''I have seen them bigger but we have never hooked one that we can definitely say was a tuna.
''It was a monumental fight - it put my back out. It can stay in the water next time.''
Bluefin are one of the largest species of tuna and can live up to 40 years.
Some Atlantic bluefin tuna may exceed 990lbs in weight
The men were fishing of the coast near Falmouth
The World Wildlife Fund says that if tuna were a car they would be the Ferrari of the ocean because they are sleek, powerful, and made for speed.
There are several species but the Atlantic bluefin can reach 10ft in length and weigh as much as 1,500 lbs, more than a horse, and can swim up to 43 miles per hour across long distances.
One sold for a record £1.09 million at a Tokyo auction in 2013.